How Roger Deakins Earned 14 Oscar Nominations

It’s hard to become famous as a cinematographer, but Roger Deakins has gone beyond even that, earning a cult status as the creator of some of the most gorgeous films made in the last two decades. With Blade Runner 2049, Deakins—with director Denis Villeneuve—once again created an unforgettable world, and has earned his 14th Oscar nomination for his efforts . . . and, at last, finally a win. Below, a look at the films for which Deakins has earned an Oscar nomination—a track record that put him in the modern-day pantheon even before he won a statue.

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The Shawshank Redemption (1994)

Deakins’s first nomination came nearly two decades into his career, and after he had begun the collaboration with the Coen Brothers that would define his work. He lost to John Toll for Legends of the Fall; Toll won again the following year for his work on Braveheart.

Fargo (1996)

Joel and Ethan Coen won their first Oscars for their screenplay for this crime thriller, and Frances McDormand won the best-actress statue. But despite capturing the unforgettable, wintry images that would later inspire an entire TV series of the same name, Deakins went home statueless; he, like nearly everyone else that night, lost to The English Patient, and specifically its cinematographer John Seale.

Kundun (1997)

The visual splendor of Martin Scorsese’s film about the Dalai Lama was a major part of the film’s appeal, but unfortunately, it was limited: Kundun made just $5.6 million at the box office. Deakins lost the Oscar to yet another Oscar juggernaut: Titanic, and its cinematographer, Russell Carpenter.

O Brother, Where Art Thou? (2000)

Capturing the Jim Crow south with an autumnal and just slightly surreal glow, Deakins and the Coens reteamed for one of the year‘s surprise indie hits. The soundtrack would win album of the year at the Grammys, but the Oscars weren’t quite as generous; Deakins lost to Peter Pau of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.

The Man Who Wasn’t There (2001)

Deakins brought the stark black-and-white contrast of film noir style to a new century in one of the Coens’ darkest films, and one that divided audiences. Cinematography was the film’s sole Oscar nomination; the winner was Andrew Lesnie for The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Rings.

The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford (2007)

This is the year the legend of Roger Deakins, Underappreciated Genius truly begins to take shape. Andrew Dominik’s revisionist Western, made for a reported $30 million, earned a big-budget sheen thanks to Deakins‘s dazzling cinematography, capturing vivid landscapes and nighttime raids that became famous among film fans. But it wasn’t the only powerful examination of the West that year . . .

No Country for Old Men (2007)

. . . since this was also the year that Deakins worked with the Coens again on the eventual best-picture winner, No Country for Old Men. Nominated twice, Deakins likely effectively split his vote, and saw There Will Be Blood’s Robert Elswit take home the best-cinematography statue.

The Reader (2009)

Deakins shared credit with Chris Menges on the film that would win Kate Winslet her first Oscar. (The reported reason for the split is that Deakins filmed earlier sections of the film without Winslet, and Menges took over for her scenes due to scheduling conflicts.) Both lost to Anthony Dod Mantle, cinematographer of that year’s best-picture winner, Slumdog Millionaire.

True Grit (2010)

Reunited with the Coen Brothers, Deakins presented a wholly different vision of the West than in his 2007 films, a vivid but beautiful place that matched the spirit of the film’s teenage heroine, played by Hailee Steinfeld. True Grit was a surprise box-office hit and a best-picture nominee, but it was hard to compete with the visual trickery of the best cinematography winner: Wally Pfister, for Inception.

Skyfall (2012)

Deakins has done one James Bond film, and he made it count, working with director Sam Mendes to create some of the most dazzling action set pieces in the franchise’s history (the fight in the skyscraper! The mansion on fire!) as well as images of natural beauty, as seen above. The cinematography was a major component of what made the film the most successful Bond entry yet, but it wasn’t quite enough to take down the cinematography Oscar winner that year, Claudio Miranda for Life of Pi.

Prisoners (2013)

Deakins’s first collaboration with Blade Runner 2049 director Denis Villeneuve starts off with a geographical miracle (it is set in Pennsylvania in the winter, but was filmed in Atlanta in the spring) and then presents a series of evocative images that absorb the audience in the story’s psychological drama. That year’s cinematography Oscar winner, though, may have been working with actual magic: Emmanuel Lubezki won his first of three consecutive Oscars for the “how did they do that?“ wonder of Gravity.

Unbroken (2014)

By the time of Unbroken, a nomination for Deakins was almost seen as a given for any film he works on, though the captivating imagery he brought to Angelina Jolie’s war epic stands with the best work in his career. The film was an Oscar underperformer, though, with just three nominations; Deakins lost to Lubezki again, this time for Birdman.

Sicario (2015)

Deakins’s reunion with Villeneuve ratcheted up the emotional and visual intensity from Prisoners, telling the story of an F.B.I. agent in way over her head investigating Mexican drug cartels. Critics proclaimed (again) that Deakins was at the top of his game; Deakins lost (again) to Lubezki, winning his third Oscar in a row for The Revenant.

Blade Runner 2049 (2017)

It may have been a sequel to a beloved sci-fi cult hit, but Blade Runner 2049 was sold almost as much on Deakins’s work as on its franchise or even its high-profile stars Ryan Gosling and Harrison Ford. Deakins did not disappoint, using dust and fog flooding his sets, to create striking, unnerving images that matched the detective story’s overarching feeling of dread. Deakins earned his 14th Oscar nomination for the film, and at last, his first win.